PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Even though we’re just a few months in, we’ve had some fantastic horror movies come out this year, including The Boy, The Witch, and 10 Cloverfield Lane. While some people absolutely loved these films, others were left bored and disappointed. But fear not; this is just the beginning of 2016, and the horror movies we’ve experienced thus far are only the start of what is sure to be a fantastic year for horror. Let’s take a brief look at the upcoming horror movies that will most likely be the topic of everyone’s radar for 2016!
Green Room (April 29th)
After witnessing a murder by some local skinheads, a punk rock band group is held hostage and forced to fight for their lives. Not only is that a rare story, but the movie has an amazing cast including Alia Shawkat, Anton Yelchin, and Patrick Steward. Yes, that’s right Sir Patrick Stewart! And Anton Yelchin has proven to be an amazing actor with past roles in Star Trek (2009), Fright Night (2011), and Odd Thomas (2013). If you haven’t watched the trailer for this, do it now!
The Darkness (May 13th)
Directed by Greg McLean (known for the Wolf Creek films), The Darkness is a slightly boring name, but after watching the trailer it looks insanely creepy. A family comes home after visiting the Grand Canyon and brings a supernatural presence with them. Although stories like this have been done, the atmosphere for this movie seems very eerie and stories about being followed by a supernatural presence are always scary. Kevin Bacon, Radha Mitchell, David Mazouz, and Lucy Fry star.
The Conjuring 2 (June 10th)
James Wan’s new horror movie The Conjuring 2 is a sequel to The Conjuring (2013), which was a huge hit. Most horror fans consider it as one of the scariest horror movies of 2013, and in general, one of the best movies of the 2000’s. Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) and Ed Warren (Patrick Wilson) are back for this highly anticipated sequel, but this time, they are fighting off unwanted spirits at a house in London. It’s hard to tell if this movie will live up to original, but fans are hopeful, and with the leading characters back in action it looks very promising!
The Shallows (June 24th)
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, The Shallows follows Mia (Blake Lively) who is attacked by a great white shark while out surfing alone. She finds herself stranded on a rock, 200 yards from the shore, but how will she survive before nature takes its toll on her fate? Everyone loves a shark movie no matter the premise and fans love a survival story. Blake Lively is an awesome actress, and although this is not her typical role it will be fun seeing how she does in a horror movie.
The Purge: Election (July 1st)
An election movie during an election year? Perfect timing! James DeMonaco is at it against with his newest horror movie, The Purge: Election, starring Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell, and Mykelti Williamson. Fans have been highly anticipating the arrival of this movie, so I guess you could say they are just ready to purge. However, this is unlike the past two Purge movies as the Senator vows to eliminate purging and all the chaos that ensues.
Lights Out (July 22nd)
Just recently, Lights Out has been making big waves in the horror world and everyone is talking about it. Produced by James Wan and directed by David F. Sandberg, this new horror movie is an adaptation of the 2013 short film, “Lights Out” by David Sandberg. If you want to know more, check out Joshua’s short horror film list. Lights Out tells the story of a woman (Teresa Palmer) being haunted by a creature of some form that only appears when the lights are out. A simple plot but some of the worse are things are waiting in the dark, and this movie looks terrifying.
Patient Zero (September 2nd)
Directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky, Patient Zero stars Natalie Dormer, Clive Standen, Stanley Tucci, and Matt Smith. The story tells of a global pandemic where all humankind is becoming infected. However, one special man can speak the language of the infected and will lead the survivors to find Patient Zero and a hope for a cure. The ‘infected” movies have been overdone, in my opinion, however throwing in the fact that the man can talk to them is something new and will be interesting to see. Even if walkers, zombies, and infection type of movies have all been done, people keep paying money for them, so I’m sure people lining up to see this new horror movie.
31 (September 16th)
Rob Zombie’s 31 is probably the most highly anticipated movie of 2016 due to the fact that it’s been in making for the last several years. The premise for this movie revolves around five carnival workers who are kidnapped and held hostage while trying to survive a game against a gang of sadistic clowns. Unfortunately, there is no trailer yet, but movie stills from the set keep appearing from the time to time, giving fans a taste of what it will be like. Rob Zombie’s last 2 movies have not done as well as his some of his others, so the horror community is hoping he delivers a brilliant story with the familiar characters that we’ve come to know and love from him. More info about 31 can be found at Rob Zombie’s 31 release date.
Rings (October 28th)
It’s been 11 years, but Samara is finally back, ready to haunt and kill people through her infamous video again. Directed by F. Javier Gutierrez , this is the third installment in The Ring series and stars Bonnie Morgan as Samara, this time around. I’m not sure how well this movie will play out, but one thing for sure is that fans are eagerly waiting to see Samara haunt the silver screen again.
The Strangers 2 (December 2nd)
How perfect – just in time for the holidays! Fans of the first movie, The Strangers (2008) will be pleased to know that the same 3 masked killers will be coming back for the sequel as well as a small part from Liv Tyler. The plot is about a family who is struggling during the economy and are about to be evicted from their home. One night they are visited by 3 mysterious masked strangers. The Strangers is a fan favorite among horror fans, an amazing twisted home invasion film and hopefully, the sequel can live up to it’s original. As of right now it is uncertain whether it will have theatrical debut or go straight to DVD. Let’s hope we can experience some of our favorite villains on the big screen once more!
There are plenty of other creepy and thrilling stories coming out this year, but these 10 new horror movies have the potential to raise the bar. Maybe not all of them will succeed in being mind-blowing, but we’re hoping that these all will be entertaining at the very least. So bring it on 2016. Let’s see how many new horror classics we can create this year!
